The Ukrainian Military Revealed The Secret Behind The Operation That Thwarted Putin's Plans
- 8.11.2026, 11:47
What happened behind the scenes of Operation "Vivaldi."
“Guys, let’s fight first, and we’ll take care of our own business later,” shouts Commander Yuriy Gorobets, trying to drown out the noise in an underground bunker in eastern Ukraine. In front of him are dozens of screens showing live feeds from the front lines. On one of them, a small FPV drone can be seen approaching a Russian position. This is how one of the episodes of Operation “Vivaldi”, which enabled Ukrainian troops to recapture some of the lost territory and thwart Moscow’s plans to encircle key cities in the Donetsk region, writes The New York Times.
Journalists from the publication spent two weeks with Ukrainian units participating in the operation and visited command posts and training grounds.
Just a year ago, Gorobets’ 66th Mechanized Brigade was losing ground under the onslaught of superior enemy forces. Russian artillery was shelling supply routes, preventing the Ukrainians from properly delivering ammunition and evacuating the wounded.
The tide turned after the capture of key high ground and the destruction of Russian communications equipment. Ukrainian drones began striking enemy positions, drone operators, and vehicles. “They were effectively blinded,” explained 25-year-old battalion commander Nazar Kinash.
In the operation led by General Andriy Biletsky, the actions of six brigades were successfully coordinated for the first time. Decisions were made directly on the front lines, without lengthy coordination with higher command.
Ground robots played an equally important role. They delivered food, ammunition, batteries, and equipment to the front lines, and some were used to attack Russian fortifications. In one of the recordings, journalists were shown a robotic vehicle carrying explosives. “That’s 20 kilograms of explosives,” explained the operator with the call sign Makar.
At the end of the visit, Gorobets looked at the screen again. A Russian soldier was cautiously emerging from the wooded area and trying to take cover in the tall grass. “That’s a Russian. We still have work to do,” said the commander.